Overview of Microsoft Graph

In this article

Microsoft Graph is the gateway to data and intelligence in Microsoft 365. It provides a unified programmability model that you can use to access the tremendous amount of data in Microsoft 365, Windows 10, and Enterprise Mobility + Security. Use the wealth of data in Microsoft Graph to build apps for organizations and consumers that interact with millions of users.

Powering the Microsoft 365 platform

In the Microsoft 365 platform, three main components facilitate the access and flow of data:

The Microsoft Graph API offers a single endpoint, https://graph.microsoft.com, to provide access to rich, people-centric data and insights exposed as resources of Microsoft 365 services. You can use REST APIs or SDKs to access the endpoint and build apps that support scenarios spanning across productivity, collaboration, education, people and workplace intelligence, and much more. Microsoft Graph also includes a powerful set of services that manage user and device identity, access, compliance, security, and help protect organizations from data leakage or loss.

Microsoft Graph connectors (preview) work in the incoming direction, delivering data external to the Microsoft cloud into Microsoft Graph services and applications, to enhance Microsoft 365 experiences such as Microsoft Search.

Microsoft Graph data connect provides a set of tools to streamline secure and scalable delivery of Microsoft Graph data to popular Azure data stores. This cached data serves as data sources for Azure development tools that you can use to build intelligent applications.

Together, the Microsoft Graph API, connectors (preview), and data connect power the Microsoft 365 platform. With the ability to access Microsoft Graph data and other datasets to derive insights and analytics, you can extend Microsoft 365 experiences, or build unique, intelligent applications.

What can you do with Microsoft Graph?

Use Microsoft Graph to build experiences around the user's unique context to help them be more productive. Imagine an app that...

Looks at your next meeting and helps you prepare for it by providing profile information for attendees, including their job titles and managers, as well as information about the latest documents they're working on, and people they're collaborating with.

Scans your calendar, and suggests the best times for the next team meeting.

Fetches the latest sales projection chart from an Excel file in your OneDrive and lets you update the forecast in real time, all from your phone.

Subscribes to changes in your calendar, sends you an alert when you’re spending too much time in meetings, and provides recommendations for the ones you can miss or delegate based on how relevant the attendees are to you.

Helps you sort out personal and work information on your phone; for example, by categorizing pictures that should go to your personal OneDrive and business receipts that should go to your OneDrive for Business.

Analyzes at-scale Microsoft 365 data so that decision makers can unlock valuable insights into time allocation and collaboration patterns that improve business productivity.

Brings custom business data into Microsoft Graph, indexing it to make it searchable along with data from Microsoft 365 services.

Pick the first scenario about researching meeting attendees as an example. With the Microsoft Graph API, you can:

Use Microsoft Graph connectors to bring data that is external to the Microsoft cloud into Microsoft Graph. Examples of such data can be an organization's human resources database or product catalog, hosted on-premises or in the public or private clouds.

Microsoft Graph connectors create connections to external data sources, index the data, and store it as external custom items and files. Once indexed, those items can show up in Microsoft Search, and for apps that use the Microsoft Search API.

Use Microsoft Graph data connect to access data on Microsoft Graph at scale, while allowing administrators granular consent and full control over their Microsoft Graph data. Data connect streamlines the delivery of this data to Microsoft Azure.

When should I use Microsoft Graph API or data connect?

Microsoft Graph data connect provides a new way for you to interact with the data that's available through Microsoft Graph APIs. Data connect provides a unique set of tools that streamline the building of intelligent applications, all within the Microsoft cloud.

Feature

Microsoft Graph API

Microsoft Graph data connect

Access scope

Single user or entire tenant

Many users or groups

Access pattern

Real time

Recurrent schedule

Data operations

Operates on data master

Operates on a cache of the data

Data protection

Data is protected while in Microsoft 365

Data protection is extended to the cache of data in your Azure subscription